Hello Lords & Ladies,
As promised, we are happy to let you try Foundation’s upcoming 1.9 Update before its official release.
Starting right now, you can opt into the public playtest on Steam and have a taste of what the team has been working on for the past several months. You will find detailed instructions on how to configure your game further below.
Update 1.9 marks a significant milestone in the development of our medieval city-building game. We encourage you to play on the Clergy progression path, as it is the most advanced in terms of narrative and unlockables out of the three available Estates in Foundation.
Here’s some highlights from Update 1.9:
- The Monastery monument (from the Clergy Estate) has been significantly enhanced. There are plenty of new functions available, including a Hospitum (to host visitors), a Scriptorium (to produce Manuscripts, a new resource) and Nun Dorms to which you can concede female villagers for the first time!
- Monuments can now have sub buildings. For instance, you can build a Chapel inside your Monastery, or a Great Hall in your Manor House, both made from multiple parts. You can also switch the functions of sub buildings at will should you require so.
- Progression in Foundation has been completely redone. At the beginning, you will unlock buildings from a common progression path, then you will have to choose which of the three Estates—Labor, Kingdom or Clergy—you want to invest towards.
- The economy has also shifted dramatically from being market-centric to now relying heavily on taxation. You will have to build a Tax Office, assign a Tax Collector and strike a balance between filling your coffers without tanking your global Happiness factor!
- You will notice that narration plays a bigger role in Foundation than ever. Indeed, we’ve added a large number of interesting events and opportunities, ranging from hosting fairs to improving trades with neighbors and much, much more. In that same regard, players will feel they have more of a say as Lord/Lady thanks to the addition of more extensive narrative choices.
- Edicts and privileges let you bend the rules in your favor. The former are laws you enact for your village, while the latter are special ‘gifts’ handed out by Estates to their most loyal followers.
- Onboarding quests will help new and returning players alike get their bearings. Of course, you can choose to skip them altogether!
How can I participate in Foundation’s Update 1.9 Public Playtest on Steam?
- Open the Steam client
- Right-click on Foundation
- Click on Properties
- Click on BETAS
- Under Select the beta you would like to opt into, choose preview
- Launch the game
We hope you have fun while you give this update a go! Feel free to discuss the update here on Steam or on our official Discord channel.